The Echoing Whistle
by bbll22
Summary: *FINAL CHAPTER NOW UP* A chilling story set on the Skarloey Railway: When all the engines are in the sheds, they hear sounds of another engine in the distance...Does the engine exist and will the engines live through the night as the whistle gets louder?
1. Part 1

Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

**The Echoing Whistle**

Night time on the Skarloey Railway always has an eerie feel to it, but tonight that feel was more apparent than ever before. The fog and mist reigned over the surroundings and the noises made by the animals of the night made the atmosphere even more scary than normal. Mr. Percival isn't keen on letting his engines do night shifts of late due to Sir Handel's recent derailment in the fog to which he was left there all until the morning. Nearly all of his engines were now at the sheds and just as Skarloey pulled into his shed, he thought he could hear the chugging of another engine. He knew Duke was just finishing taking the driver's and fireman back to the main station, so he just assumed it was him, although the chugging was coming from nowhere near where Duke was. Skarloey could clearly see Duke in the distance infront of him, but the chugging noise was coming from behind the sheds.  
"How odd..." he murmured to himself. Rheneas just about heard Skarloey's speech and immediately wanted to join in.  
"What's odd?" he asked.  
"Nothing..." replied Skarloey. "It's just me...I'm getting old..." he added, but he couldn't help keep thinking about the chugging noise. It was usual at all, and this worried him greatly.

Meanwhile, Duke was now returning to sheds after pulling the carriages full of drivers and firemen to the main station, but as he neared the sheds, he also heard something unusual. It was the faintest of whistles, but it was clear enough for him, his driver and fireman to hear.  
"Who's that?" questioned Duke.  
"It shouldn't be anyone..." replied his driver.  
"We're the last ones on duty..." added his fireman. This made all three of them very suspicious, but just as they were about to continue on with returning to the sheds, they heard it again.  
"Someone's out there..." said Duke.  
"No-one else is working on this railway at this precise moment..." added in his driver adamantly.

"We're not even near the exchange line..." continued his fireman. "So its not one of the Fat Controller's engines, someone's on this railway..." All three of them look puzzled, but then dismissed they ever heard the noise so that they didn't have nightmares tonight. Soon enough, Duke was in the sheds and was just about to go to sleep when Peter Sam had a question for him.  
"Who were you talking to out there?" he asked all of a sudden.  
"I beg your pardon..." replied Duke.  
"Who were you talking to out there?" asked Peter Sam once more.  
"Oh that..." replied Duke. "I was talking to my driver and fireman. We just thought we'd heard another engine, it was nothing..." he added.  
"Another engine?" queried June. "How's that possible? We're all here!"  
"I don't know..." replied Duke. "It was just us, we're hearing things...there's no need to worry..."  
"There is..." said Skarloey all of a sudden. "I thought I heard another engine too..."

"When?" asked Duke quickly.  
"Not long ago..." replied Skarloey. "It wasn't you though. I could see you infront of me, but the noise I heard came from behind..." The other engines in the sheds gasped. None of them could believe this, but the fact the two most trustworthy engines of the railway heard it meant it must be true. They then all just stayed silent as they though through the mysterious event.

Since the revelation, none of the engines could get to sleep and they all seemed very worried at the prospect of a mysterious engine on their line.  
"It can't be happening..." said Rusty. "We are all here...we can mishear things, it was just both of you misheard."  
"Not likely..." continued Duncan. "Its that ghost engine again! Its back for revenge..." he continued in a worried tone.

"We all need to calm down..." added Freddie. "Stranger things have happened..."  
"Since when?" protested MightyMac who were very scared at this moment.

"I don't know..." replied Freddie who was also becoming scared now, as were most of the engines.  
"It's probably just Bertrum on a night shift..." suggested Sir Handel.

"Bertrum doesn't work at nights though..." replied Duke. "He hates night shifts..."  
"Oh dear..." said Neil at this point. "Something is trying to get us..." Other engines agreed at were quite scared now knowing that it wasn't just their old friend Bertrum, it was someone else, someone they didn't know, and this was terrifying indeed. Then just as the engines were starting to calm down and relax once more, Rheneas spotted a light in the distance, it was a red light.  
"It's a tail-lamp!" he exclaimed. "Their over there!" The other engines looked on and were most shocked by the sight before them.  
"It can't be..." said Duke. "I was only hearing things! I didn't mean it to be real!" he protested, but the tail-lamp got brighter in the distance meaning the engine it was attached to was getting nearer.  
"Oh my..." cried June.  
"It's going to get us!" screamed Rusty. Everyone looked on in horror as the tail-lamp got brighter, they couldn't believe what was happening, and then its whistle went. It echoed loudly and proudly over the Skarloey railway and scared not only the engines in the sheds, but also the animals of the night. The fog disguised the engine beyond recognition and all the engines were powerless as they had no-one to drive them. They were stuck and as the whistle got louder and echoed even more, a collective scream was heard from the Skarloey railway sheds.

The horror was just unfolding...


	2. Part 2

Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

**The Echoing Whistle**

**Part 2**

The horror had just unfolded and the collective scream from the sheds echoed far into the night. It echoed so loud it stirred Mr. and Mrs. Percival from their sleep.  
"What was that?" questioned Mrs. Percival.  
"I don't know dear..." replied Mr. Percival who got up to look out of the nearest window, but due to the mist and fog, he couldn't see anything and that meant he wouldn't know what was happening to his engines.

The engines screams came to a sudden halt as the echoing engine came to a sudden stop. Their screams meant they didn't see it come as close as it did. The engine then let off steam and wheeshed loudly. The fog around the sheds then suddenly started to clear and the identity of the engine was revealed.  
"No..." cried Duke.  
"It can't be..." said the others as they realised the identity of the engine.  
"Screaming engines? Well there's always a first eh, Dukie?" said the engine sarcastically. The engines couldn't believe it as the fog cleared even more, it revealed that the engine was none other than Smudger.

"How can you be here?" asked Duke.  
"When you become a part of Sodor, you never forget your way around here, and I've finally done it. I'm back and you still don't know what's going to happen...oh the joys of that!" he replied with his big, beaming smirk.

"What's going to happen next, Smudger? What is going to happen?" asked the engines almost all at once.  
"Well..." he began. "There's one thing I've always wanted to do...and I think you'll find that its called revenge!"  
"Revenge? What for?" quickly questioned Duke.  
"The way I was treated. Being made a generator hardly makes you a happy engine does it, Dukie?" replied Smudger who was getting noticeably more angry with each reply now.

"You deserved it at the time Smudger..." said Duke in reply.

"I never did..." retorted Smudger. "The manager hated me...I was a victim of his personal likes and dislikes! No engine deserves that!"  
"But you did..." replied Duke calmly.  
"Right...that's it!" cried Smudger. He then angrily blew his whistle and then in the distance a horn was heard, it was a Diesel horn.  
"Smudger, what are you doing?" questioned Skarloey.

"The plan is now in action...and I've got my back-up..." he replied eerily.

"Back-up?" queried June. "Who's back-up?"  
"You'll see..." said Smudger as the Diesel horn got louder and then it came into view. As soon as the lights on the outside of the shed illuminated the diesel, Rusty went into shock.  
"This can't be happening..." he said.  
"You are kidding..." added Duke  
"Why would I do that?" replied Smudger as the Diesel came to a halt. In the illuminated view of everyone else, it was clear to see this Diesel wasn't a nice one at all.  
"Glad the plan is finally underway Smudger!" gruffed the Diesel. Everyone looked on stunned. Not only had Smudger come back but some of the engines here, the Diesel was easily recognisable aswell.  
"I just don't believe this..." said June.

"Fred...the laziest Diesel we've ever known is back..." continued Duke.

"Ay up Granpuff! How are you?" gruffed Fred who then started laughing and made Smudger laugh as a result. Everyone else was just stunned.

Once the laughing had stopped, Smudger and Fred told the engines of their plan.  
"Well..." began Smudger. "Revenge is what we want. I was treated unfairly, and so was Fred, and to be honest, we want revenge on those engines who caused our unfair time on Sodor..."  
"We're taking them as far as we can, and we've already got one...now, its just the final two to get..." continued Fred with a gruff.

"I gather the one you've already got is Bertrum isn't it?" asked Duke with apprehension.

"The very same..." replied Smudger. "He's safely secured...so there's no need to worry about him."

"All we need to worry about is the other two engines now..." added Fred.  
"And they are?" questioned Rusty who was still in shock at the sight of Fred.  
"Duke and June..." replied Smudger simply. "Fred, you take Dukie...I'll take June..."  
"Righty-o!" agreed Fred and then he made his way to Duke's line and coupled upto him. His driver then got out of Fred and went into Duke's cabin and released his brakes.

"Stop it!" called Duke. "Just stop it!"  
"Never..." replied Fred. Smudger in the meantime had coupled upto June and his driver and fireman had released her brakes too."  
"You only knew me for a week!" cried June. "I left as you were joining...why hate me?"  
"I just do..." replied Smudger as he began to reverse down the line as did Fred with Duke in tow. The other engines looked on in horror as their friends were being towed away and they didn't know what was going to happen. Slowly, Duke and June went out of view as did Bertrum who was towed away by another engine, none of whom anyone else could tell who it was. They were still in shock at what had happened and then they heard Smudger's echoing whistle once more and then Fred's harsh Diesel horn. All the engines could do simply was call out:

"HELP! HELP! SOMEONE HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP US!" but no-one seemingly heard their cries for help. They were powerless and nothing could seemingly be done.

The horror was continuing...


	3. Part 3

Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

**The Echoing Whistle**

**Part 3**

The horror was continuing and the fate that lay ahead for Duke and June was still a mystery. As they were towed along through the misty twists and turns that the tracks had for them, they could only think about their demise. Smudger and Fred were still very focussed on getting the pair to their location and didn't think to keep them quiet, so they were being nice in some respect.  
"Why do this Smudger?" called Duke again as he still couldn't comprehend Smudger's actions.

"I keep telling you Dukie. Revenge. It's as simple as that...and you and June are going to pay for your actions." he replied in a sinister tone.

"Do we actually deserve this though?" asked June.

"Well..." deliberated Fred.  
"Ofcourse!" continued Smudger. "I was a decent engine. Fred was a decent Diesel. We weren't treated fairly at all, and this is how we want to retaliate." Duke and June didn't dare respond and then just kept to keep the peace. For Bertrum, who was being towed by an unknown engine, he just couldn't understand anything that was happening.

"Where are we going?" he asked warily.

"Deep into the forests..." whispered the unknown engine.

"Who are you?" Bertrum then asked.

"I am the forgotten engine...I mean no harm at all...I just serve and help those who require my assistance..." replied the engine who then whistled loudly. The whistle echoed and Duke and June were shocked.

"That's the noise!" they cried.

"Indeed..." replied Smudger.

"But we thought the whistle came from you..." said Duke who was very perplexed.

"Never..." retorted Smudger. "I'd never change my whistle Dukie. My little ditty is just perfect for who I am!"  
"A conniving little horror of an engine?" suggested June. Fred chuckled at that remark, but Smudger didn't want any of this.

"Oh...you think you're funny...no engine is funny June, accept that because it will be the last thing you will ever accept." he said eerily once more and then he whistled with his high-pitch ditty and removed any sinister qualities from him in an instant. Fred then kept silent as the procession of engines being towed to their end carried on through the hills and fog.

"Almost there..." whispered the unknown engine to Bertrum.

"Oh dear..." muttered Bertrum. "This is it...this is the end for us..."

Meanwhile, back at the sheds, the engines had given up calling out for help.

"It's no use..." sighed Peter Sam. "Their gone now...what can we do?"

"We're going to save them!" called out Fearless Freddie.

"But how?" asked Rusty.

"Really, how?" added Neil. "We've got no drivers, no firemen. How do we help them Freddie? Really, how do we help?"

"I don't know..." conceded Freddie. "We've lost our friends...I'm only trying to be positive..."  
"We know..." said Skarloey. "I think we'll just have to try crying out again. Surely someone will hear us!" Everyone else agreed and at the exact same moment, all the engines started calling and crying out for help. Their voices reached far and a few locals came to see what the commotion was. They were horrified when the engines told them the situation and they immediately telephoned Mr. Percival.

"Hello..." said Mr. Percival who had been stirred by the ringing of the telephone.

"Mr. Percival..." said one of the locals. "We've been told by your engines that others have come and taken some of your trains."  
"What!" exclaimed Mr. Percival. "I'll be on my way now!" He immediately put the telephone down and made his way to his bicycle.

"Peregrine..." called out his wife Polly. "Where are you going?"

"Some of my engines have been stolen, dear..." he replied.

"You're kidding!" she exclaimed.

"No I'm not dear..." replied Mr. Percival once more.

"Right then..." began Polly. "Its too late to be on a bicycle. We're going in the car!" and then made their way to the Percival car as quick as they could and set off to the sheds.

Elsewhere, in the high hills of the railways on the Skarloey Railway, it was becoming apparent to Duke, June and Bertrum that the unknown engine was the one giving away the most details of where they were going, but what bothered Bertrum most was that even when the fog had cleared, the unknown engine looked very misty indeed and the crew themselves didn't look like they were there. It was almost as if the engine didn't exist, but surely it must as Bertrum was moving by himself. This was very strange indeed. Smudger was now beginning to look worried as the time to take everyone to the location was taking far too long.

"I'm going to run out of coal..." he muttered to himself.

"We'll have to stop now then..." said his driver. Smudger then came to a halt, but it was too sudden for Fred to react. As he braked, his wheels slipped on the rails and he came off them still coupled upto Duke and as he came off the rails, he broke through a barrier against a steep drop of the hill they were traveling on.

"Oh dear..." called Duke.

"Save me! Save me!" called Fred. His driver had jumped clear and no-one was there to help him. Duke had no-one to help him either and he became greatly worried. The force against Fred was immense and his couplings were snapping, and snapping quick.  
"No!" cried out June.

"Go on...FALL!" called Smudger.

"You want me to fall?" asked Fred to Smudger, the engine whom he had trusted so much with this revenge plot.

"Yes..." replied Smudger simply. "You mean nothing to me..."

"Oh..." said Fred as the snapping was occurring even more on the couples that held him and Duke together. Then, all of a sudden, they snapped. Fred lurched backwards and continued to do so down the hill but for Duke, he lurched backwards down the line.

"Never forget me!" cried out Fred as he fell down the hill which came to a halt when a loud crash was heard.

"Smudger...how could you..." said June. "You betrayed him..."

"I may have..." he replied. "But you three are still here...and I'm not giving up yet! This is only the start!" Duke, June and Bertrum then just looked on as Smudger began to laugh and the fog began to return. If this was only the start, then what was next? No-one was sure at all, but the echoing whistle of the unknown whistle sounded once more as this horror was not yet over...


	4. Part 4

Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

**The Echoing Whistle**

**Part 4**

The horror was about to conclude for Duke June and Bertrum as now only Smudger and the unknown engine were left. Fred's fall had seemingly left him all gone, but faintly his voice could be heard.

"Help..." it cried. "Please...I'm still here...please...I don't deserve this..."

"No-one deserves what's happened to them tonight..." muttered Duke to himself. "Times like this call for unity among us all...we just need t-"  
"Shut up Dukie!" interrupted Smudger. "I'm trying to concentrate here!" Silence then fell among everyone there. For June, she just wished she home with her friends. For Bertrum, he wanted the company of his driver and fireman, both of whom lived just across from his shed, while Duke simply wished Smudger would move on and accept he couldn't change anything. Then, all of a sudden, the unknown engine spoke once more.

"Uncouple me please..." it said to its driver and fireman. They obliged and slowly the unknown engine chugged away.

"Where are you going?" called Bertrum.

"I'm coming back!" it called as its echoing whistle sounded once more. Then, as the echo faded, silence fell once more.

Meanwhile, back at the sheds, Mr and Mrs Percival were talking to the other engines to calm them down as were many of the locals who had been stirred by their cries. Since none of them knew where they were taken, they couldn't send out a search party, it was hopeless. Then as the engines calmed down as the noise from the locals and the Percival's lowered too, an echoing whistle was heard.

"It's back!" cried the engines all at once. Everyone else looked on terrified into the foggy surroundings.

"Who is it?" questioned Mrs. Percival.

"I don't know..." replied Mr. Percival simply as the echoing got louder, but then it stopped all of a sudden, and a creaking noise began.

"STOP IT!" cried the engines. "JUST STOP IT!" but the sound didn't stop. It got louder and louder and then it stopped all of a sudden. Everyone was puzzled as silence fell once more.

Back on the hill in silence still stood Duke, June and Bertrum with Smudger. None of them had spoken for some time now and no-one dared to after what happened to Fred whose cries for help got even fainter than before.

"Help..." he cried for the last time, and then with no-one responding, he fell silent. Smudger now looked as if he could comprehend what had happened to Fred, but he didn't want it to show. However, as the silence had continued, his driver and fireman had run away. Smudger was that focussed on thinking up what to do next that he never heard them on the gravelly paths beside the tracks. They'd run for help but couldn't find any. Then as they came to a halt, the echoing whistle sounded.

"It's never going to stop doing that..." muttered Smudger driver.

"It will soon..." added his fireman. "It can't keep doing it..." and he was right. The unknown engine was struggling to cope, but it reached a point switch just at the right moment.

"Thank goodness.." it whispered. Its driver and fireman switched the points, and then they charged back up the line. The engine went faster, and faster and whistled louder than ever before. It echoed louder than ever before too and spooked everyone that heard it. Then, the echo was replaced by the noise of a chugging engine, the unknown one was now going at speed. Duke, June and Bertrum had heard everything and were unsure of what was happening.

"It said it was coming back..." said Bertrum to the others.

"But why?" asked June.

"I know why..." remarked Duke. "The unknown engine is Smudger's worst fear..."  
"It is not!" protested Smudger, but the engine whistled once more and came into view. Smudger gasped. "No!" he cried. "Stop! You're going to crash into me!" but the engine carried on. Just before impact, its driver and fireman jumped clear as the unknown engine collided with Smudger at some force. It was so strong that it propelled Smudger off the line and onto his side, but the other engine escaped without damage somehow.

Everyone was bemused by it, they just couldn't believe what had happened.

"Help!" cried Smudger. "Why won't anyone help me?"

"You mean nothing to me..." replied the unknown engine. "You don't deserve this at all...but then somehow I think you do..." Then, for the last time, the unknown engine whistled even without a crew and then abruptly disappeared before everyone's eyes.

"W...what..h...h...how it do that?" questioned Bertrum.

"It was an engine...and then it wasn't..." added June.

"That's the mystery of the unknown engine for you then..." smiled Duke who had just realised that he and the others were now safe. They waited until morning when eventually a rescue crew found them. They were amazed by what they saw but were glad that everyone was safe. The engines then told the rescue crew about Fred and eventually they found a machine big enough to get him out. He was incredibly thankful.

"Thanks...you don't know what this means to me..." he said buckled and bruised. One by one, the engines were taken back home. Duke was the last to leave, but as Smudger was still on his side, he decided to have a chat with him.

"You can't win Smudger..." said Duke with a smile.

"I...I...I'm not finished yet!" protested Smudger. "You're meant to be scrapped now!"

"It won't happen..." replied Duke. "Well...not just yet..." he added. Smudger was seething with anger, but it soon stopped as Mr. Percival came to speak to him.

"Oh dear..." muttered Smudger to himself.

As Mr. Percival began his speech to Smudger he couldn't help keep thinking about what should happen next. Should he scrap him? Or should he keep him? Either way, he wouldn't forget what happened on the previous night. The decision came and Smudger was taken away to the scrapyards. He wasn't to be scrapped, but he was to be kept there forever, on his own, with no-one to talk to but the carcases of long-gone engines. As for Fred, he was soon repaired and he visits Mr. Percival's engines from time to time, but mainly helps out with Bertrum who was happy once more with his driver and fireman for company. Fred also helps other engines on a different line, but is happy nonetheless. June was back to being her normal, sociable and thoughtful self while Duke was back to being himself, old, a little grumpy and full of life, but no-one could still understand who the unknown engine was, but since the event took place, its whistle echoes many times through the night and it whispers a mysterious, haunting couple of lines at the engines:

"I am an engine with no known name. I have no fixed body, and no fixed aim, but what I seek is joy and peace, but never forget to lay the unknown engine a wreath. R.I.P"

The horror was now over...or was it?


End file.
